African Insights - Monthly Ezine - Newsletter

African Insights Ezine - March 2006


Starbucks watch out! Here comes Café Pap

I live in a town in the USA that supposedly has more coffee outlets than any place in the USA.  For the uneducated that means you have coffee, espresso drive-ins, drive-bys, drive-throughs, coffee houses, cafes and in all those places there is at least one of those Italian espresso machines. In other words, coffee abounds.

In this part of the country it rains a lot, resulting in more depressed people due to overcast skies. This constant rain means more visits to massage therapists, more visits to mental health therapists, the reading of more books, and listening to more music.   All of this prompts people to think that a double Americano, a latte or a cappuccino in the morning will bring instant cheer as they drive through the Puget Sound drizzle.

The sun can be out as is most days in Africa and I still enjoy a good cup coffee of most any kind without the rain as long as it rich in flavor and aroma. The problem in East Africa was that coffee was grown there, but the tea that was also grown there was consumed by most resulting in the fact that most East Africans had no clue what a good cup of coffee should taste like.  In the 1990’s finding a good cup in Uganda or Kenya was hit or miss; most often it was the dreadful instant Nescafe coffee.   If you were offered coffee in a home, it would be the instant variety, which had more caffeine but not much taste since the Robusta beans from which it was made lack the rich flavor of the Arabica bean.

In the 90’s I used to travel with my own French press coffee maker, bringing my own coffee, which incidentally was from Africa having been exported to the USA and then I re-imported it back into Africa.  I had bought some local coffee off the shelf in Uganda and Kenya, not aware that all the good stuff was exported at that time.

What a pleasant surprise when in February of 2006 I discovered that Kampala had developed a taste for good coffee!  My eyes lit up when I saw espresso machines were in quite a few places.  Hotels and guesthouses were using the finest Arabica beans for their coffee (I checked) and it seemed to me that some Ugandans here and there were drinking less tea and were having more cappuccinos, lattes, or simply an aromatic cup of coffee.

I ventured into “1000 Cups of Coffee” and found the quality quite nice and thought as I had my double Americano coffee that I had ascended into coffee heaven! Little was I to know this was just a foretaste of what was to come in the form of Café Pap. 

Starbucks future competition is located on Parliament Avenue in the heart of Kampala.  You have to look for it and then if you look just right there it is; bright, clean, beautiful and welcoming.  (No, I am not getting paid to write this for them.)  You can sit inside or out.  I love an outdoors café where you can catch what is happening on the street, or you can sit inside with its warm colors and the smells of food and fresh coffee.

I ordered from a menu covering most anything from fine pastries and desserts to sandwiches; from stir fried vegetables to fish and Chips.  I hoped they would live up to the promise of their menu!

The coffee and cappuccinos came first.  I took a picture of one.  A heart frothed on top with the word “coffee” imprinted. Now, did you ever get that at Starbucks?  The food was delightful, the wait staff fantastic and besides you can use the Wi-Fi network for a reasonable cost.  Lots of people had their laptops turned on.

Café Pap is more than simply a coffee shop in the heart of Kampala.  It shows African entrepryou do not get this at Starbucks?eneurship at its best.  It reflects the can do attitude of the new Africa.  It is about being the best one can be.  It is reflected in the employee’s attitude, the cleanliness, the sense of humor, the professional manner and, of course, where else could you get a cup of designer cappuccino.

I came to realize that Africans can take a concept like coffee, like a coffee house, a café, and improve upon it. After all wasn't coffee born in Africa, and if I am not mistaken, so was mankind?

Starbucks is building a new coffee shop wherever one turns.  Specialty Coffee is being consumed in record volumes all over the world.  Here in Uganda, Arabica coffee beans are being grown in the hills.  Shade grown and fair trade coffee is making an impact.  Coffee growers are reaping the benefits from new people tasting quality coffee in the form of a latte, cappuccino or espresso.  And Café Pap, well, they just might take their wonderful café on the road, and I would venture to say that they will be quite successful anywhere from London to New York and even this little town in the Northwest where coffee rules, Bellingham my hometown for the season…jon

Visit Cafe Pap


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Here are some of the past issues available on line

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April 2008:  The Why's of it all - The needs of the children of Africa

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January 2008: Let it Rain

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December 2007:  Christmas in Africa - 2007

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October 2007:  The Lights have refused to come on!

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September:  CHOGM 2007 - The Queen is coming to Uganda!

bullet May 2007 - Omega - A voice that touches the soul
bullet April 2007 - Every Ugandan has a cell phone but...
bullet February 2007:  They just keep on coming ... and coming...
bullet January 2007:  Impressions on Purpose and Calling in Life
bullet December 2006:  It is still not Christmas in Northern Uganda…sadly so…
bulletOctober 2006:  Mabira Rainforest or Sugarcane Plantation?
bullet July 2006:  Uganda gifted by Nature?
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February 2006:  African Reflections 2006

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January 2006:  Safari - The Journey Begins

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September 2005:  Born and raised in Africa - Coffee

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August 2005: Sacred Spaces, Thought provoking Places

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July 2005:  Kodak Moments

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June 2005: Roda Bec - her Journey ends too soon

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February 2005:  Listening for the Sounds of Africa

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January 2005:  African Leaders needed – A moment in the life of the President of Uganda

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December 2004: My wish for Africa in 2005

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November 2004: Our Children - Africa's Orphans

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October 2004:  Driving in Uganda

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August 2004: Born in the USA and Born in Africa -Where you are born, determines how you live

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July 2004: Dead White Man’s Clothing Get a Second Life in Africa

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May 2004 Rwanda - 10 years later

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April 2004:  Food - Western and African Thoughts

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March 2004: Meet Owuor from the movie "Nowhere in Africa."

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February 2004: The King and the Son of a Slave: King Leopold and William Sheppard

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January 2004:  Flying in Africa

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December 2003:  Aids and the Children of Africa

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November 2003:  Gathering at the Table - Thanksgiving

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October 2003:  Karen Blixen - Another view of her time in Africa

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September 2003:  Machetes - Pangas and fair trade with Africa

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August 2003:  Idi Amin - The little - big Man - thoughts on his life and death

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July 2003:  In and Out of Africa  or How not to visit Africa - The President Bush Visit

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June 2003:  Africa awaits you! Traveling to Africa in uncertain times

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May 2003 Africa and the Western World – a fragile relationship-or- Do Africans Hate Westerners?

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April 2003:  Pity for Africa versus Compassionate Action for Africa

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March 2003:  African Bargain Ritual

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February 2003: Aids-Africa-Dignity and Hope…Thoughts...

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January 2003:  Not Yet Uhuru…but it is coming…

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December 2002:  Christmas - African Style

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November 2002: African Images

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September 2002:  Matatu Ride - A Near Death Experience

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August 2002: Miracle - Life Saving Medicine - Soap and Water

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July 2002:  Culture – Patriarchal Ways and Education of Women

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June 2002 Newsletter - Water – Plastic Containers and Women’s Liberation

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May 2002 Newsletter - The African Entrepreneurial Spirit is alive and well

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April 2002 Out of Africa – Too Newsletter - The WaBenzi Tribe of Africa 

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March 2002 Newsletter - Africa … Living with death and celebrating life

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February 2002 Newsletter - A Hero falls

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January 2002 Newsletter - Climbing in Rwanda

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Christmas  2001 Newsletter

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December 2001 Issue "St. Nicholas Day - Thoughts in Africa"

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November 2001 Issue "I am glad you made it through the night"

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October 2001 Issue "Thoughts on being Human"

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Last updated: 06 May 2008

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